Clinton McDonald went from despair to elation in the space of a few weeks, as his talented filly Miss Ole bounced back from a luckless debut to score stylishly at Sandown Hillside on Saturday.

After blowing her chances with a poor start in the VOBIS Gold Strike at Warrnambool, Miss Ole made no mistakes second-up, charging home under Ben Melham to win the Sportsbet Jockey Watch Handicap (1000m) by three-quarters of a length.

Backed into $2.50 favourite with online bookmakers, she defeated Saluted ($3.80), who tasted defeat for the first time, while Espana ($14) finished a further three-quarters of a length away in third.

“I felt sick after Warrnambool,” McDonald admitted. “She just missed the start and that was it. But she’s shown us a lot at home, and we knew if she got it right, she’d show her ability.”

“She was still a touch fierce early, but she was very strong late. She’s really taken the next step from that first-up run.”

A $360,000 Inglis Premier Yearling Sale purchase, Miss Ole is by red-hot young sire Ole Kirk, and McDonald believes she’s on a trajectory towards stakes grade.

“I think she’s definitely a stakes-class filly,” he said. “She’s come on a lot since her debut and what she’s shown us at home, she just keeps improving.”

McDonald also touched on the current state of his stable, which is in a rebuilding phase following the loss of several key horses.

“We’ve had to regroup a bit after losing some good ones like Stanley Express and Hayasugi, but we’ve got some very nice types coming through,” he said. “We’ve got 130 in work and only 19 have raced, so we’re building.”

He hinted that Miss Ole could have one more run on June 7 before being aimed towards the spring, with her long-term future firmly pointed at black-type racing.

“She was really switched on today, not overdoing it but still alert. She’s got a bright future and we’re excited to see what she can do in the spring,” McDonald added.